New Victims Emerge As River Deaths Raise More Questions

June 9, 2017: New information has emerged that conflicts with the Thunder Bay Police’s go-to working theories that there is no evidence of foul play in the death of 17-year-old Tammy Keeash earlier this month. Redwood Park Church Pastor, Jesse Hochstetler stated, “Keeash was face down on heavy reeds several metres into the Neebing-McIntrye Floodway…her pants were around her ankles.” The Pastor also confirmed that one of Keeash’s shoes was in a spot on the hill above the floodway.

This is not the first time inconsistencies with police determinations and eye-witness accounts have surfaced. Falconers LLP lawyer, Julian Falconer, has raised the possibility of foul play behind some of these deaths, and raised the need for proper, creditable investigations to be conducted into their deaths. The prospect of foul play is additionally heightened by two separate cases of Indigenous men who were attacked and thrown into a city waterway, but managed to survive. Darryl Kakekayash is among one of those survivors.

Falconer pointed to his cross- examination of forensic pathologist Dr. Toby Rose (page 139) during the coroner’s inquest into the death of seven Indigenous young people as more evidence that supported the possibility that foul play was involved in some of the deaths. During the cross-examination, according to the transcript, Rose said, “forensic pathology cannot distinguish based on pathology findings between drownings that occur by accident, as a result of suicide or by someone else by homicide.”

Referenced page in the Dr. Toby Rose Cross-Examination

Falconer said this raises troubling questions. “It doesn’t matter where you look, the ugly truth has to be confronted,” said Falconer. “There has to be a reasonable possibility that some of these deaths are by brutal, racist thugs who consider tossing an Indigenous person in the river to be an entertaining exercise.”

 In the News

Eyewitness contradicts Thunder Bay police account of Tammy Keeash death APTN National News, June 9, 2017

Thunder Bay police ruled out foul play in Jordan Wabasse’s death 2 days before receiving tip suggesting murder  APTN National News, June 9, 2017

Thunder Bay police investigate graffiti ‘I killed those kids’    CBC, June 9, 2017

Did Tammy Keeash have bite marks on her hand    APTN National News, June 7, 21017

Evidence from First Nation student who survived Thunder Bay river attack resurfaces following eye-witness claim   APTN National News, June 1, 2017

Account of 2008 attack in Thunder Bay   APTN National News, June 1, 2017

The indigenous teen who escaped death in a Thunder Bay river   Toronto Star, November 24, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

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